


In This Life Or The Next

by BellaLeigh



Category: The Originals (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-07-07 17:31:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15912963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BellaLeigh/pseuds/BellaLeigh
Summary: My way of making the finale actually make sense, followed by a whole lot of fluff of those that have died just hanging out together in the afterlife.





	1. A Change In Plans

“Niklaus, we need to talk.”

“And just what is it that you want to talk about, brother?”

Elijah glanced at Caroline, for one second thinking that perhaps this conversation should be taken somewhere else. But, no. Caroline probably knew the whole plan. And just might be willing to help him change that plan. “A change in your plan. Specifically, that I intend to be the one the twins put the Hollow into, not you.”

“Wait. What? Dad? You said you were going to put it into something safe. You never said anything about putting it into you. What were you going to do, then? How was that going to help?”

Well, maybe not the best way to get Hope involved, but she did have the key to getting Niklaus to agree to doing things his way. “Please tell me that you weren’t planning on doing this without even telling her. Tell me you at least intended to say goodbye.”

“Say goodbye? Dad? Seriously, what is he talking about?”

The look Niklaus was giving him had Elijah hoping that he didn’t have the white oak stake with him. “It’s nothing, Hope. Don’t worry about it.”

“Seriously, Klaus? You’re going to stand here and lie to her face? And here I was, thinking you had changed.”

Elijah shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Because we aren’t doing this his way. We’re doing it mine. You are not going to orphan that girl, Niklaus. She just got you back. And she just lost her mother. She needs you.” Both Hope and Niklaus looked ready to speak, but Elijah was through listening. “Hope, I need you to tell your father what you told me. Tell him the message your mother gave you to give to me.”

“It was just a hallucination, Uncle Elijah. Don’t you dare try to use me hallucinating seeing my mom while I was passed out as some excuse. Neither one of you are dying, tonight. We’ll figure something else out. There has to be something we can put the Hollow into, at least temporarily to get me through tonight. Nobody needs to die for me.”

“If only that were true. Unfortunately, we have exhausted all other options. There is no other way. Now, will you please do what I asked, and tell your father what your mother said. I promise that there is a reason I’m asking for that, and I will explain in a minute. I’m not using this as an excuse.”

Hope didn’t look convinced, but she finally sighed and turned to Niklaus. “She told me to tell Uncle Elijah that she’s still waiting for that dance. I don’t pretend to understand it. I guess it was just a way for my subconscious to tell me it was time to forgive him because that’s what Mom would want. Or something. Why a dance, I don’t know.” She actually smiled, then. “Unless it’s because people tend to dance at weddings, and I always figured they would…” She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. It’s stupid.”

Elijah shook his head and took the letter Hayley had written him and never sent out of his pocket and handed it to Niklaus. “It isn’t stupid. And it wasn’t a hallucination. Your mother came to see me, about five years ago. She told me her name was Andrea. And we spent the day together. Including sharing one dance. As we were saying goodbye, I said something about seeing her in the next life. She told me that if we’re destined to meet in another life, to know that she’d be waiting for another dance.”

“Right. Whatever. I’m calling bullshit.”

“Hope.”

“You don’t get to stand here and use my own mind against me. You don’t get to take advantage of me wanting my mom and hallucinating…”

“Hope!”

She whirled around. “What?!”

Niklaus handed her the letter. “It isn’t bullshit. And that wasn’t a hallucination. You really almost died. We almost lost you.” He glared at Elijah. “Did you consider that implication of this?”

“Of course I did. But, she didn’t die. Hayley sent her back. But, have you considered that there was more than one meaning to that message?”

It was Caroline that answered. “It wasn’t just to let you know that she forgives you, was it? You think it was really her way of telling you…” Her voice broke a bit. “You think she was telling you it’s time to come home?”

His eyes were burning as he tried to hold back tears. “I could have saved her. I stood there, and I let her die. I watched her burn. And I did nothing. I can’t take that back. But, I can make it right.” He locked eyes with Hope. “I can’t give you your mother back. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to stand here and watch your father die, too. I can do that much for you.”

She walked up and hugged him. “But, not tonight. Do what you need to do to get me through this. But, give the others a chance to say goodbye. They all deserve that. And so do you.”

Then there was another hand on his back. “I’ll tell the girls there’s been a change in plans.”

***

Klaus followed Caroline when she turned and walked away. Once they were out of even Elijah’s earshot, he grabbed her arm, making her turn to face him. “You’ll tell the girls there’s been a change in plans? Just like that? Do I not get a vote, here?”

She yanked her arm out of his grasp, but didn’t turn away. “No, Klaus. You don’t get a vote. Elijah’s right. Hope needs you. Now more than ever. She just lost her mother. And she just got you back.”

“We all just got Elijah back, too. He’d be a better father figure to her than I would, anyway.”

She just stared at him for a minute and then reached out and put a hand on his cheek. “Is that really what you think? What? That she would be better off without you? Trust me, she wouldn’t be.”

He pulled away from her. Her touch was the last thing he needed, right now. “Elijah has spent a thousand years cleaning up my messes. That ends tonight. He’ll finally be free to live his own life. How do I just stand by and let him throw that away?” And then he remembered that he was supposed to be angry at her. “And how could you just go along with it like that?”

“Because I heard what he didn’t say. I equated his death with going home. And he didn’t say anything. He isn’t throwing anything away. Quite the opposite. For once in his life, he is grabbing what he wants. For once in his life, he isn’t thinking about you, or any of your siblings. Oh, he’ll pretty it up by saying it’s because Hope needs you. But really, it’s because he needs Hayley. He is never going to forgive himself for her death. Even though he knows that she’s already forgiven him.”

He clenched his eyes closed. “And what am I supposed to do, then?”

“You are supposed to, for once in your life, be the selfless one. You are going to let him go. And you’re going to let him think that you believe that keeping you and Hope together is his only reason. And then you are going to take the gift of time that he’s giving you, and you are going to become the father that he always hoped you would be.”

“And if I can’t? If I can’t just watch my brother die?”

“You were fully prepared to ask him to do exactly that, Klaus.” She spoke quietly, calmly. And yet, each word was an accusation. A reminder that sometimes living was harder, and more of a sacrifice, than dying.

Leave it to Caroline to throw that in his face. It wasn’t an answer to his question. And yet, it was. She was right. He thought about Elijah’s reaction to getting his memories back, to remembering Hayley. In a thousand years, no other loss had affected him like hers did.

Caroline was right. Elijah was throwing nothing away. He had latched onto Hope’s message like a lifeline. And there was only one thing Klaus could do. For once in his life he had to put Elijah first. He had to let him go. “Tell…” He faltered for a minute. Took a deep breath. “Tell your girls there’s been a change in plans.”


	2. Running Out Of Time

_**Thank you everyone who has favorited or followed this story, or left reviews. It is greatly appreciated.** _

_**When the Hollow affects Elijah more than it should, the Mikaelsons are left trying to find a way to buy him enough time for them to say goodbye.** _

* * *

 

Elijah stood inside the circle, listening to the twins chanting. He should be paying more attention, since what they were chanting was essentially his funeral dirge. But, there was another sound that had his attention. A sound that couldn't help but bring a smile to his lips. Wolves howling. Two of them. Niklaus had also transitioned to share this night with his daughter. The only thing that could have made it better was if there had been a third howl. As much as it would have hurt her to see it happen, Hayley would have loved to run in the woods with Hope.

Which was the thought that wiped the smile off his face. Hayley would never run through these woods again. Would never share that experience with her daughter. Which was why he was doing this. There were a great many things that Hayley would never do, now. And that was largely his fault. Though his guilt was only part of it. Not even the largest part, if he was being honest with himself.

In truth, the biggest part was that "in the next life" turned out to not be so metaphorical as they had thought, at the time. And she was waiting for him. He still owed her a dance. And maybe, maybe in a world where there wasn't somebody trying to kill them or their family every five minutes, a world where they would actually have a chance to just breathe, they could finally make a life together. Did it actually count as a life, if you were dead by every definition of the word? Did it really matter what they called it?

"Are you ready, Elijah?"

He blinked. There was now a glowing mass of energy floating in front of him. Ironic that it was actually rather pretty. But, he didn't have time for that. Alaric and Caroline were both standing there, watching him. And Caroline really should be inside. He nodded. "I'm ready."

"Now, girls!"

And then it slammed into him. This was not like when Vincent had divided the Hollow up. Getting the full force of it was very different from only getting a quarter. He fought against the urge to scream. Fought and lost. A moment later, the sounds in the forest changed. First one, and then both wolves were definitely getting closer. Elijah locked eyes with Caroline, who had to hear that, too. "Get inside. All of you. Hope can't hurt me. Not really." He turned to look at the twins. "You did good, girls. Thank you. You just saved Hope's life." And then at Alaric. "The entire Mikaelson family is forever in your debt. I'm sure Caroline will have no problem reminding Niklaus of that if you ever need to call it in. Thank you. Now go!"

Caroline had already vamp-sped out of there. Not only did he not blame her, he was oddly touched at the trust she was showing him. Alaric would be no match for a werewolf in wolf form, and even less of one against a hybrid. Which meant that Caroline was trusting Elijah to protect her girls if Hope still wasn't quite Hope when she arrived. He watched Alaric grab the girls' hands and run into the house, and then he turned back to the forest to wait for his brother and his niece to arrive.

**~In This Life Or The Next~**

At Elijah's scream of pain, Klaus didn't think. He just turned and ran towards where the sound had come from. What he hadn't been expecting was for Hope to follow him. Granted, the act of transitioning should have triggered her hybrid abilities, allowing her to change back whenever she wanted. But still, Caroline was over there. And if Hope was not in full control when she got there… _Sorry, my littlest wolf. I'll run with you another night._ He changed back into human form and ran at full vampire speed to the school.

He exited the woods to be greeted by a smirking Elijah. "Honestly, Niklaus. And what if the twins were still here?" He reached down and picked up a pair of pants that were laying at his feet and tossed them to Klaus before also tossing a bundle of clothing into the woods. "You bursting out of the woods stark naked could have scarred them for life."

Klaus rolled his eyes as he put his pants on. "Sorry for thinking that seeing a naked man would be somewhat less traumatic than watching their mother be mauled to death by a werewolf. I had to get here before Hope did. Just in case."

"Caroline and I both heard when you started running this way. She ran inside, and Alaric took care of the girls."

A rustling in the forest told them that Hope was back. A few minutes later, she walked into the clearing, wearing the clothes Elijah had thrown to her. "Is it done? I mean, obviously the Hollow isn't in me, anymore, but…"

"It's done. So, we should probably get home. I don't know how much time I have. How did that whispering not drive you completely mad?"

Hope's answer was to snap her fingers, and turn to Klaus as Elijah fell over. "This is bad. The voices shouldn't have started, yet. I think we need Aunt Freya and Vincent. We need to get him home. Now."

Klaus just nodded an picked Elijah up. "Can you tell Caroline?"

"I'll write her a note on the way. I can send it to her by magic."

"Then let's go. And, while you're explaining us leaving without saying goodbye to Caroline, you can also let the others know we're on our way."

**~In This Life Or The Next~**

Klaus stared at the black lines running up Elijah's arm and listened to Freya talking about a matter of hours in utter disbelief. "I don't understand. I thought that thing fed on anger and hatred? Elijah is the calmest of all of us. I could see it affecting me this quickly, but he should have more time."

It was Hope that answered. "When I was venting my grief on him… I was tearing him to shreds with magic. He just stood there and took it. Do you know what he said when I told him that I hated him?" She didn't wait for a response. "He said that he hates him, too." When everybody still was just looking at her in confusion, she sighed. "Anger and hatred directed at himself is still anger and hatred. It's feeding on that. Until he finds someone else to share the blame, and he lashes out."

"Hope's right. I told you that last night. Elijah is never going to forgive himself for his role in Hayley's death. So, since the whole point of him coming back here was to give himself a chance to say goodbye, I suggest you start working on a way to buy him the time to do that."

"What are you doing here?" In truth, he was glad to see her. But genuinely had no idea what could have made her come. She was hardly close to Elijah, to want to say goodbye to him.

Caroline didn't answer. Instead, another voice spoke up. "I called her and asked her to pick me up from the airport. And pointed out that the rest of the Mikaelsons had significant others to turn to, tonight. But, you and Hope only had each other."

"Love, what…" Kol was silenced by a finger placed on his lips.

"There may not be much love lost between me and Elijah, but he's still your brother. What kind of wife would I be if I left you to face this alone?"

Klaus couldn't help but smile at that. Davina may only be a Mikaelson by marriage, but she was still a Mikaelson. And when the chips were down and the family needed her, she still came running. First to try to save Hope, and now to help Kol say goodbye to Elijah. She had even happily danced at Freya's wedding. "You did good, brother. That girl is definitely a keeper." It was a whisper that only the other vampires would hear, but he was rewarded with a smile from Kol.

"Thank you, Caroline. Both for bringing Davina and especially for staying, yourself. Maybe now Hope won't feel like she has to be strong for me. Or at least she'll be willing to turn to you for the comfort she won't ask me for." Yes, he was talking about his daughter like she wasn't there, which would probably piss her off. But, it needed to be said.

"We should probably go upstairs. Start figuring out what we're going to do to try to buy Elijah more time."

There was one obvious solution that everyone seemed to be missing. But, if he brought it up in front of Elijah, it would be his luck that that would be the moment his brother woke up. And he would not be at all happy about this idea.


	3. An Angel and a Devil

_This starts right after chapter 2 ends. Elijah is hallucinating, and when he escapes into the city, the others need to find him before he goes on a rampage._

_My apologies for the delay in getting this out, life got kind of crazy for a while._

_As always, thank you for the likes and comments, and really just for reading. I appreciate each and every one of you._

****

**~In This Life Or The Next~**

He woke up to the sound of his siblings talking about buying him more time. He wasn't sure what that actually meant. But, it didn't really matter. Especially not once he was left alone.

He waited until he knew they were all upstairs before opening his eyes. He didn't want them to know that he was awake. Though, he wasn't really sure why that was. He was supposed to be saying goodbye. That was why he hadn't just staked himself at the school as soon as the twins had transferred the Hollow into him. Because he had promised Hope that he would say goodbye.

"Yes, Elijah. Say goodbye. Try to apologize for all the wrong you've done. For being so instrumental in taking Hope's mother from her. For your selfishness, now. Go on. Go talk to them about how willing you are to throw the past thousand years with them away to follow a woman you've known less than a decade into death."

"This isn't about Hayley, Mother. Then again, how could I possibly expect you to understand? It's not like you ever really loved anyone, including your own children." Which wasn't really fair. She had sacrificed herself for them, in the end.

"Don't be stupid. Of course I loved you."

"Really? Because loving mothers generally don't continually try to murder their children."

"I was trying to undo the mistake I made by turning you into vampires against your wills. I was trying to make things up to you."

"By once again not asking us what we wanted? Just stop. You're only making things worse for yourself."

"You know that Hope will also not have a choice, right? Or have you not considered the implications of her having turned Hayley, as well as your brother's new hybrid army? When she dies, she will turn. Whether she wants to, or not."

Yes, he had considered that. Many times over the years. He sometimes wondered if Niklaus had considered it. And now, at fifteen, Hope was old enough to also realize the implications. There was no way for her to not have some of her own blood in her system when she died. She would turn. The only question was whether she would let herself complete the transition - or if she would choose to instead die in agony.

"You could spare her that, you know. Rip her heart out. It's the only way to be sure."

He should argue that point with her. Part of him knew that. But, that part was being quickly drowned out.

"You know why Haley was even in that house, right? Because Hope kidnapped her and then Roman got into her head to find out where Hayley was being held so that Gretchen could kidnap her from Hope. Hayley would still be alive if Hope hadn't thrown a temper tantrum and decided to trick Niklaus into coming back home."

"No! Elijah, don't you dare listen to her! It wasn't Hope's fault. She just wanted to see her dad. It wasn't her fault."

That voice. That was the voice that he had missed for longer than he had realized. "Hayley. I don't know what to do. Help me."

"Get out of here. Far away. Say your goodbyes on the phone. Just run. They'll understand. You think any of them want to watch you die, anyway? Run away, Elijah. For once in your life, just run away."

He yanked at the chains holding him and part of him was surprised when they snapped. Freya knew exactly what she would be holding, here. You would think that she would have strengthened them with magic. If anyone could hold even an Original vampire, it was a Mikaelson witch. He shook his head and then stalked out of the cave.

They were talking about him. He could hear them as he made his way through the house. How dare they? How dare they discuss him and what to do with him like he had no right to an opinion on the matter?

"Yes. How dare they? You could kill all of them, you know. Take that white oak stake of Niklaus's and break it into three pieces. Rip Freya's and Hope's hearts out. Marcel may get you, in the end, but isn't that what you want, anyway?"

He turned towards the voices. Started walking closer to them.

"Elijah, no!" And then it wasn't just her voice. She was there, standing in front of him. Hayley. The love of his life. And the woman he had calmly stood by and watched burn. He started shaking. "Run, Elijah. I'm here. I'll come with you. But we have to go. We have to go, now."

"Yes, we have to go." He turned around and walked out of the house.

****

**~In This Life Or The Next~**

"I am telling you, Freya, that it's the best way."

"And I am telling you that it's too risky."

"Guys, we have a problem."

"Tell me what the risk is. Explain this to me."

"Guys."

"What if we can't undo it?"

The next thing Klaus knew he was laying on the floor, with his daughter standing over him looking pissed. "Now then. As I was saying. We have a problem. Uncle Elijah isn't in the cave, anymore. So, really, this argument needs to wait. Because at the moment, it's pretty pointless. Can't do a whole hell of a lot about the Hollow and whatever it may be saying to him if we don't know where he is, can we?"

And then they were all on their feet. "All right. Let's go find him. Marcel, you still have the most pull with the other vampires in the city. Keelin, if you can head to the bayou and see about getting some of the wolves to help us. The rest of us will just start looking. Freya…"

"I'll try scrying for him."

"Aunt Keelin, you're the most vulnerable of us. I can talk to the wolves if you want to stay here with Aunt Freya, where it's safe."

Klaus couldn't help but smile when his sister-in-law shook her head. "I may be married to a Mikaelson, but I'm still a normal werewolf. I hate to say it, but not everyone trusts you. Besides, I'm no more vulnerable than they are. How can I ask them to take a risk for my family that I'm not willing to take, myself? I'll talk to them. You would be more useful either helping Freya scry or out there looking for him with the others."

Hope nodded and then they all scattered.

He never realized just how big New Orleans really was until he had to find his brother while in the middle of yet another festival that seemed to exist only here. Seriously, was there any day of the year that the entire city wasn't throwing a party for some reason or other?

With every passing minute, he grew more impatient. Freya should have texted them with Elijah's location, by now. Elijah would be dead by the end of the day. And none of them had had a chance to say goodbye, yet. And then he found him.

The sight that greeted him when he turned the corner into the alley looked more like something that he would be responsible for himself than something to expect from Elijah. There had been a massacre. Bodies strewn around like the cast aside toys of a spoiled toddler. Some simply with broken necks, but the majority had their own hearts laying on the pavement next to them.

But, what stopped Klaus's heart, was the sight of Hope pinned to the wall, Elijah's hand around her throat. Klaus took a step towards them, trying to find a balance between getting there in time to save his daughter, without startling his brother and making the situation worse.

But then Hope shook her head. It could have been her simply protesting what was happening to her. Except she wasn't looking at Elijah. Her eyes were locked on Klaus's. It was him she was saying no to. "Uncle Elijah, let go. Please, let me go. For mom. Or are you prepared to go to her with my blood on your hands?"

Elijah jolted at that, looking like he had been kicked. "You're cursed, you know. You were born cursed. You will have no more choice than I did. I saw you as my family's salvation. I never stopped to consider what your fate would be." He turned his head, and suddenly was yelling at something only he could see. "Mother, just shut up! How many times do I have to kill you before you just shut up?"

Which, explained the bodies. Klaus was actually surprised that when ripping the hearts out didn't work, Elijah hadn't started ripping heads off of shoulders. Or was it simply a matter of Hope walking in before he could reach that point?

"I know. I'm not a child, Uncle Elijah. You think it never occurred to me? You think I don't know what's going to happen when I die? Because I know. And it's okay. It's more than okay. I want it. I'm in no hurry. Aunt Rebekah and I do have that in common. I'd like to have a family. But, sometime in my thirties, I'll do something quick and painless. I don't see it as a curse. I get to live forever. The diet seems less than fun, right now, but I have a feeling my opinion on that will change when I do. It's going to be okay."

Elijah dropped his hands.

And the instant he did, Hope snapped her fingers. "Call Marcel to get this cleaned up. And then we need to get him back to the compound before he wakes up. And then, as much as I don't like it, Aunt Freya and I will put part of the Hollow into you so he can say his goodbyes. We don't dare let him wake up, otherwise. I don't know if I could talk him down from the ledge a second time."

He could only stare at her. "Hope. What he said to you, about you not having a choice. What you said to him…"

"It doesn't really matter, does it? Because he's right. I won't have a choice. In the end, the only choice I have is how I'm going to live my life in the meantime. I can either spend my time as a human dreading it, or I can accept it. I'm choosing to accept it. Because I refuse to live in fear." She turned around. "You need to carry him. He's a bit heavy for me." And with that she stalked out of the alley, leaving Klaus no choice but to pick Elijah up and follow her.


	4. Saying Goodbye Pt 1 - Klaus

_This picks up shortly after the last chapter ends. Elijah begins saying his goodbyes, starting with Klaus, who hasn't left his side since bringing him home._

_As always, thank you for the follow, favorites, likes, comments, and just for reading it. I greatly appreciate it._

****

**~In This Life Or The Next~**

Elijah woke up in his own bed, with his brother staring rather anxiously at him from across the room. Something was wrong, though. Something missing. It took him a minute to realize what it was. The voices were gone. Which could only mean that the Hollow was gone. His blood ran cold as the implications of that hit him.

"What did you do?"

"Freya and Hope put part of the Hollow into me, temporarily. To give you a chance to say goodbye."

Elijah shook his head. "Niklaus, no. Have you gone mad? What was the point of putting the Hollow into me, if you ended up taking part of it, anyway?"

Niklaus held up his hand. "I said that it was temporary. We needed to buy you time. Otherwise, they would have been afraid to let you wake up after the last time. It was Hope's idea, really."

Well, that wasn't at all ominous. "What did I do?"

Niklaus looked away. "It doesn't matter. We all know that you weren't in your right mind. Hope was even the one who tried to explain it to us. We didn't listen to her. Didn't want to admit that our stoic Elijah was truly capable of that kind of hatred. Not even directed at himself. You proved us quite wrong. And that's all you need to know."

"Niklaus. Answer me. What did I do?" It had to have been bad for his brother to not even be able to look him in the eye. "Is everyone okay? Did I… did I hurt anyone?" Niklaus still wasn't looking at him. Which was absolutely terrifying, as Elijah could think of only one logical reason for that. "Hope. Did I do something to hurt Hope?"

"No! She's fine. You didn't hurt her."

Interesting choice of words. Not that he didn't do anything to her. Only that he didn't hurt her. And, Hope may be fine, but Niklaus had neatly side-stepped the question of whether Elijah had hurt anyone, to focus on Hope being okay. And the answer was there, in what he didn't say. "I'm guessing that's only because you, Freya, or Marcel stopped me. Or did the poor girl have to deal with me, herself?" She was both a Mikaelson witch, and a Crescent pack wolf in full possession of the special abilities that come from being a hybrid. A bite to distract him, and then just a snap of her fingers to knock him out. She could have done it, easily. Which didn't make him hate himself for her needing to any less.

"You were hallucinating. Seeing mother. Hope thinks you were also seeing Hayley. Something you apparently said. I don't really know. Whatever was going on in your head, whatever you were seeing… You tried to make it stop. Marcel has some daywalkers out cleaning up the mess. But Hope wasn't part of it. You didn't hurt anyone you care about."

"No, just an untold number of people whose only crime was to be in my vicinity while I not so quietly lost my mind. I'm not sure that really makes this any better." And then he really heard the rest of what Niklaus had said. "Hope said? Meaning that she's the one that found me. You say that I didn't hurt her. But, I did something, didn't I? What happened?"

Niklaus started pacing. "You can't just let this go, can you? No, of course not. You're Elijah Mikaelson. And you have to fix everything. Every problem that anyone has, you have to fix it. Well, guess what, brother? You aren't going to be here to fix everything for us. We are going to have to learn to clean up our own messes. So, just this once, let me clean up after you. It doesn't begin to pay you back for the past thousand years. But, it's the best I can do, now. Yes, people died. Yes, Hope saw things you would wish she hadn't. But, she's not a child. She's the one that talked you down from the ledge. And, whatever happened before I got there… She isn't cowering in fear of you. She's in the living room, with the others, waiting for her turn to say goodbye to you. She was the one who convinced Freya to divide the Hollow temporarily so that you could say goodbye. Whatever happened… That girl loves you. You didn't hurt her. Not in any way."

It didn't make it better. Not really. But, whatever else he may have done, at least he hadn't hurt Hope. At least he could go to Hayley with a clear conscience. Speaking of Hayley… He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I have a favor to ask."

If the sudden change in subject surprised him, Niklaus didn't let on. He was probably glad to not have to answer any more questions. Instead, he just glared at Elijah. "Don't you dare ask me to be the one to kill you. Because I'm not doing it."

"I wouldn't ask that of you. In fact, I intend to be alone when the time comes. I don't want any of you having to watch me die. No, this is something for the future. There's a box downstairs. It has some things of mine that I packed up before I had Marcel erase my memory. In that box is a ring box. Someday, when some young man asks you for Hope's hand… give him that ring to give to her?"

Niklaus's reaction to that was to pull Elijah into a hug. "I don't know how I'm going to go on without you. Knowing that you're with Hayley is the only thing that can possibly make this okay. So, when you get there, you grab that girl and you don't let go. Hope and I can take care of each other. You let yourself be at peace with the woman you love. You hear me?"

Elijah could only nod and return his brother's hug. He fought against tears. Tears, not for himself, but for those he was about to leave behind. "And you, let that young woman downstairs in. You've been alone long enough, too. At least give yourselves a chance to see if there is something real, there. And stop giving Marcel and Rebekah a hard time. Let them be happy, together. All of you deserve a chance to be happy. I think that after everything we've been through, we all deserve that."

"Funny that you say that while you're preparing to die."

Elijah finally pulled away and just shrugged. "Like you said, I'm going to Hayley. To the love of my life. Maybe it isn't fair that we had to die to get our chance to be happy, but when has life ever been fair?" In all honesty, what he couldn't say to Niklaus was that the truly ironic thing was that he was saying that while formulating a plan that would put a time limit on Marcel's happiness. But, in order to give Rebekah the one thing she wanted more than anything, that time limit was necessary.

He sighed. "All right. I guess I should finish my goodbyes before I run out of time. I'll go down, now. Give you time to pull yourself together. I know that you won't want the others to see the mighty Niklaus Mikaelson crying." And then he walked out before he could start crying again, himself. It was time to find out exactly what happened before his brother walked into that alley.


	5. Saying Goodbye Pt2 - Hope and Caroline

**_Elijah is still saying his goodbyes. Next up is Hope. Then asking Caroline for a couple favors. Because, even as he's preparing to die, he's still looking out for his siblings._ **

**_As always, thank you for the likes, follows and comments._ **

**~In This Life Or The Next~**

Everybody stopped talking when he walked into the room and just looked at him. He closed his eyes against the looks in theirs. Took a deep breath. Opened his eyes again, ignoring everyone in the room except his niece. "Hope? Can I have a moment?" He held his breath, then. Niklaus had said that she was waiting for her turn to say goodbye. But what if she didn't want to be alone with him? He wouldn't blame her. Something horrible had happened between them before Niklaus found them. His brother's evasion had made that very clear.

Hope rolled her eyes as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. And then she just nodded, and walked out of the room. He followed her until they were on the other side of the house. "I'm guessing that the reason you wanted to talk to me next is because Dad told you that I was the one that found you?"

Perceptive. "You have your mother's way of seeing right through me. What really happened, Hope?"

"Are you sure you want to hear this?"

"I need to know. How do I face your mother not knowing what I did to you? How do I look her in the eye? I don't know if I even have a right to ask her to forgive me, because I don't know what I'm asking for forgiveness for."

Hope sighed and started pacing around the room. "I followed a trail of bodies into an alley. And you were there. There were more bodies. I should have snapped your neck right then. I know that." She held up a hand, warding off the argument from him that she obviously saw coming. "I'm not blaming myself for anything. Just reminding you that I did have a way to protect myself. So, you can stop blaming yourself, too. Anyway, apparently seeing me changed the hallucination you were having."

"And do you know what I was hallucinating?"

"You were seeing Grandmother. That's what the bodies were about. You kept trying to kill her. Which I found out later. But, when you saw me… You lunged at me. Grabbed me by the neck and held me against the wall." She shook her head at him, making him realize that the horror he felt at that was showing on his face. "You weren't trying to choke me, or anything. I could breathe perfectly fine. And then you started talking to Mom. Asking her to help you, because you didn't know what to do, anymore. I think that she somehow calmed you down. Until Dad got there. And I used the fact that you were talking to Mom to talk you down. Asked if you were prepared to go to her with my blood on your hands. Not fair, I know. But, it was all I had. You pointed out that I'm not going to have a choice about becoming a vampire. I told you that I was okay with that. And you let me go. And then I snapped your neck, and had Dad bring you back here."

"I am sorry you had to see that."

She shrugged. "Don't be. I'm a Mikaelson. I'm a werewolf. I'm going to be a vampire. You can't shield me from the world I live in forever. And it would be wrong to try. And I've had that thing whispering in my head. I know exactly what you were going through. The only difference between you and me is that you were able to act on it. So, don't worry about what I saw. It's nothing the Hollow didn't want me to do."

"I know that I can't shield you from the world. And I know that you've always been stronger than most of us gave you credit for. Today wasn't the first time you were the one to pull me off of the ledge of insanity. If you don't remember, your Aunt Freya might be able to tell you more. But, if what you saw that day didn't scare you, I don't know why I thought that this would. But you've been through so much these past few weeks. I can't help wanting to spare you what pain I can."

"I'm going to have to watch my uncle die, tonight. The man who probably would have been my stepfather if things had gone differently. Unless you have a way to spare me that pain… Nothing I saw in that alley begins to compare to this."

"I wish there was something I could say to make this better."

She was still pacing around the room. "I just wish… I don't even know what I wish, anymore. I want my mom back. I want you to not have to die to save me. I want… I guess that what I want doesn't really matter, does it?"

"Unfortunately, it doesn't matter what any of us wants. But, that is part of life. We all get swept up in things we have no control over. None of us wanted to become vampires, either. And yet, had we not done so, we all would have died a thousand years ago. And you would not exist. And you, Hope, are well worth everything we went through to bring us here. Never doubt that for a second."

"But, if I had never been born, then the Hollow wouldn't have gone after your family. You and mom…"

He couldn't help it. He started laughing hysterically, cutting her off. "If you had never been born, your mother and I never would have met. And she is the best thing that ever happened to me. So, that's enough of that. You are the best thing to happen to this family, Hope. If you can't see the things you've done for us, personally, then I have something for you to consider. Without you, I never would have met your mother. Kol never would have met Davina. Freya might still be locked in Dahlia's spell, and she sure as hell never would have met Keelin. And, speaking of me never meeting your mother. Without your mother, every one of us would be dead. So, don't you dare start going down the 'I never should have been born' path. You really were this family's salvation."

He took her into his arms. "But, enough of this. There is one other thing I wanted to talk to you about. When I first woke up, before everything with the Hollow started, we were daydreaming together about making a life together. Just the three of us, with your father and the rest of the family allowed to visit on the weekends. We talked about a cabin in the woods. I actually did buy a cabin. But, we never got to move in, because everything with the Hollow started. It's small, only two bedrooms. But, right after I found the deed to it again, I had it put in your name. It can be your sanctuary away from the rest of the family."

"Meaning Dad. You just literally gave a fifteen year old girl a house that her father physically cannot enter."

He shrugged. "Do try not to abuse that. Remember, your mother and I will be watching you."

She started crying at that. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This isn't fair!"

"If I've learned anything in the past thousand years, it's that life isn't fair. But, it's okay. It's going to be okay. I'll be going to her before the day is out. You know that better than anyone. And, even if she hasn't really fully forgiven me, yet… Well, I'll have eternity to make things right. We have to believe that, Hope. Everything will be okay."

"I love you, Uncle Elijah. And I'm sorry for what a bitch I was to you."

"I love you too, baby girl. And don't worry about it. I meant what I said. I hate me, too. You may have forgiven me, but I'll never forgive myself."

She looked about to speak again, but he put a finger to her lips. "Shh. No more apologies. No regrets. Do you have any messages you want me to deliver?"

"Just tell my mom I love her. And I'm going to do my best to make you both proud."

"We're already so very proud of you, Hope. Never ever doubt that." He pulled away. "But, I should probably finish saying my goodbyes."

She nodded and he turned and walked out of the room. It was time to ask Caroline for a couple favors before he tried to get up the courage to say goodbye to the rest of his siblings. He fully admitted that he was stalling, but he wasn't sure how he was going to do that.

**~In This Life Or The Next~**

"I'm glad you're here, Miss Forbes."

"Honestly, Elijah. Just call me Caroline, half my students don't even bother with the 'Miss Forbes' thing."

He couldn't help but smile at that. With that feisty, no-nonsense attitude, he could see why his brother had always been smitten with her. "All right, Caroline. I know I have no right, but I have two favors to ask of you. And one of them is pretty big."

"I'm not making any promises without knowing what the favors are, but I'll certainly hear you out. What do you need?"

How to explain this? "For a thousand years, I have been Niklaus's leash. You saw how well him losing that leash for a few years went. He's about to lose it, forever."

"You do know that a big part of what Klaus was doing was to protect you, right? Because if any of your enemies came after you, you wouldn't know to watch your back."

And yet, a part of him wondered if one of those enemies had indeed come after him. Disguised not just as a friend, but as a lover. Not that he would ever discuss his growing doubts about Antoinette with anyone, even if he still had forever to do so. She was long gone, and nobody would ever let her get close to any of them again. No point in sending Niklaus on a quest for vengeance that might still actually be unwarranted.

He shook his head. "Be that as it may. This is still Niklaus we're talking about. My point is that he's going to need a new leash. I'd like to think that with trying to protect me gone as an excuse, that Hope will be enough. But, you do seem to have an effect on him, as well."

"So, keep eyes and ears to the ground and try to keep your brother from spiraling. I can do that. Especially with Hope's help. What's the other favor?"

"Something to consider for the future, actually. I hope it will be several decades before it becomes an issue. But, the one thing my little sister has always wanted, even when we were human, was to have a family of her own. And then my parents made that hopelessly impossible."

Caroline smiled. "When Damon is ready to go, Rebekah is next in line for the cure. I'll make sure that he and Elena are both aware, as well."

"Thank you. And, perhaps don't tell Niklaus, just yet? I don't know what his reaction will be, but knowing him, it likely will not be good."

"No, knowing your brother, heads will roll. Probably starting with Damon's to try to get rid of the cure, altogether." She kissed him on the cheek. "It will be our secret until it's time. And I'll do my best to keep Klaus out of trouble, too."


	6. Saying Goodbye Pt 3 - Rebekah and Marcel

_Yes, Elijah is still saying his goodbyes. There will probably only be one more chapter of that before I finally kill him off. This time, it's Rebekah. Not going to lie, this chapter was hard to write. I am not going to apologize for the odds of it being equally hard to read._

_As always, thank you for reading, and for the likes, follows, and comments._

**~In This Life Or The Next~**

"Rebekah?"

His baby sister looked up and paled. "My turn, already? No. I refuse. I'm not saying goodbye to you, Elijah. I…I can't." She looked like she was going to cry. Which was hardly surprising, really. After a thousand years together, they were only given a few short hours to say goodbye.

Elijah didn't know what to say. Begging her to not let him go without getting to say goodbye to her would only make this harder for her. And she was the one that was going to have to live with whatever happened between them, today.

It was Marcel that stepped in, metaphorically speaking. He gently kissed Rebekah's temple. "Go on. You'll hate yourself in the morning if you don't say goodbye. I'll be right here when you're done, okay?"

Rebekah nodded and stood up, then walked out of the room. Bemused, Elijah could only follow her, until they were in her bedroom. "Interesting location for a talk."

"Well, since I intend to lay down and cry for a few centuries after talking to you, having my bed right there made sense." When she turned to look at him, the tears she had been fighting since he got her attention downstairs were streaming down her face. "I don't know how to do this, Elijah. I don't know how to say goodbye to you."

He took her into his arms. "For what it's worth, neither do I. I'm just fumbling my way through this. I feel like I'm being so selfish, right now. Leaving all of you. While I…"

"While you go to Hayley. You're not being selfish, Elijah. It's okay to want something for yourself. For a thousand years, you put us first. Honestly, I can't help feeling like I'm the one being selfish. I'm the one that wants to keep my big brother here with me. When the love of his life is waiting for him. Out of all of us, you are the one that most deserves a chance to be happy. You've put your own happiness on hold for me and Nik so damned many times. I know that it's time. Past time for you to put yourself first. But, I don't know how to let you go."

"Niklaus actually told me that knowing that I'm going to Hayley is the only thing that makes this remotely bearable."

"For all that he can be a colossal idiot, sometimes, every once in a while our brother shows his intelligence."

Elijah laughed. "But, speaking of the loves of our lives…"

"Were we?"

"Well, we were talking about me going to Hayley. Seems like a good place for a segue." Rebekah laughed, and Elijah continued. "Also, speaking of our idiot brother… I have extracted a promise from him to stop giving you and Marcel a hard time. You once told me to run towards love. Now, I am. And I'm telling you the same thing. Marcel loves you, Rebekah. And if I am deserving of love and to be happy, then so are you. Stop running from him, from love, from happiness."

"Do you really think that Nik will allow that?"

"I really think that if he tries to revert to his old ways Hope and Caroline will knock him down a peg or five."

"And Caroline? So, you've noticed that, too?" She pulled away, then, and grinned at him. For a little while at least, she was the same baby sister he had known for centuries. "How did it take us all a thousand years to find love, anyway?"

"You've always been the hopeless romantic, sister. And, in point of fact, it only took you eight hundred years."

She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Honestly… I think that we can just chalk that up to being the advantage of immortality. We were still here when our soul mates were born." He took a deep breath. "But, there is one other thing I wanted to talk to you about. A secret that you, me, Marcel, and Caroline are going to keep from Niklaus until it's too late for him to do anything about it."

Her eyes clouded over at that, and Elijah winced as he realized his mistake. He had included himself in that. Like keeping a secret was a choice he would have. Like he wasn't about to take all of his secrets to his grave. "What secret?"

"You have a long time to decide if it's what you really want. But… When Damon Salvatore is ready to go… you are next in line for the cure."

Rebekah just stared at him. "Mortality? You're offering me mortality? And… Well… I couldn't have Marcel's children. But…"

"But, Freya can't have Keelin's either. You would have the same kinds of options that they do."

"Children… I… Do you think Marcel will still want me, if he knows that it will be temporary?"

"Seriously? You're worried that the man who spent two hundred years taking whatever stolen moments with you he could get won't want you if it's only temporary? It's always been temporary with you two, Rebekah. And you always kept finding your way back to each other. I think he'll take what happiness he can find, for as long as you can give it."

She nodded. "And, if he can't handle that, then… I'll have a choice to make. But, I think you're right. I think he'll stand by my side for however long I end up having." She was crying, again. "And… I guess that means that I'll see you in about a hundred years or so. What's a hundred years, right? Just a blip on the radar at this point, really."

Elijah could only hug her and kiss her on the forehead. "Be happy, little sister. You are going to be a wonderful mother. You took such good care of Hope. I look forward to watching you raise a few children of your own. And spoiling your grandchildren rotten. And… I'll see you in about a hundred years or so."

"Give Hayley my love. And Josh. I… I love you, Elijah."

"I love you, too. Always and forever."

"Always and forever." She threw herself onto her bed.

"I'll send Marcel up here?"

Rebekah just nodded.

"Do you want me to tell him about my deal with Caroline? Or do you want to be the one to tell him?"

"You do it. Give him a chance to decide how he feels about it before he sees me."

Elijah nodded, even though with her face buried in her pillow, she couldn't see him. And then he walked out of the room and back downstairs.

**~In This Life Or The Next~**

This was getting exhausting. Elijah wasn't sure how much more he could take. But, he didn't have time to take a break. He had this one night. "Marcel? I guess you're next. Rebekah really needs you, right now."

Marcel nodded and followed Elijah out of the room. "She gonna be okay?"

"I think she will be, eventually. She'll have you, after all. Or at least, I hope she still will after you hear what I have to tell you."

"Leave it to you to get all ominous while saying your goodbyes. What is it that you have to tell me?"

Elijah started pacing. "There's a cure. For vampirism. Right now, it's in Mystic Falls. In the blood of one Damon Salvatore."

Marcel actually smiled. "And you've made arrangements with Caroline for Rebekah to get it? The one thing she wants more than anything else in the world."

"Yes. She loves you, Marcel. Enough that if you can't handle this, if you don't want to be with her if it's only temporary, then she says she'll have a choice to make. But…"

"But, why would I make her choose? What are my options, Elijah? I either take whatever time I have with her, I walk away from the only thing in my life that has ever made sense, or I spend forever with a woman who… part of her would be resenting me for taking her dreams away from her. If it was Hayley, what would you do?"

"I would be holding her hand on her death bed."

"Which is exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to spend however much time she has with her. I'm going to help her raise her children. No. Our children. They won't be biologically mine, but neither is Davina. And, when the time comes, I'm going to hold her hand, and kiss her one last time, and watch her return to your side."

"Just… don't tell Niklaus? Not until she's made her final choice and it's too late for him to try to talk her out of it? This is something that the two of you should decide together. For once, don't give my idiot brother a vote."

"Yeah. And she doesn't need that drama from him. I'll support her, whatever she decides. If she takes the cure, I'll be holding her hand on her death bed. And if she doesn't… You know… Caroline's school is a pretty awesome thing. Rebekah and I could do something similar. Except… instead of a school, an orphanage. Let her mother orphaned witches and werewolves to her heart's content."

"Not a bad idea. Honestly… not a bad idea even if she does take the cure. I wonder what Hayley's life would have been like if she had been adopted by someone who knew what she was and accepted her. I will always be grateful to you for saving her all those years ago, but…"

"But, for her sake… Honestly, for her sake, I wish I had found another werewolf pack to give her to. Or, I had sent her to Rebekah. I think it might actually be a really good idea. I'll have to talk to Rebekah about it after she's calmed down a bit."

"Do that. Besides, you and Kol are going to need something to keep yourselves out of trouble when Rebekah and Davina are gone."

Marcel laughed. "Can you honestly see Kol helping to run a supernatural orphanage?"

"He just might surprise you. I never, in a thousand years, imagined that he would be the first of us to get married. And yet, look at him. And, he can't give Davina children, either. She might be glad of that chance to be a surrogate mother, too."

"I'll run it past all three of them."

There were so many things left to say. But, he was running out of time. In the end, there was only one thing that really mattered. "Marcellus… I don't have time to make amends for… anything, really. So, I'm going to just deal with my worst offense. That night on the bridge. I acted without thinking. Out of fear. I was so caught up in trying to prevent that prophecy that I… You didn't deserve that. I should have talked to you. I should have given you a chance. Even if I still had forever, I couldn't begin to make amends for that. But, I just want you to know… I am so sorry. You are a member of this family. You always have been. And you deserved a hell of a lot better than that."

"Yeah, well… I then went on to try to kill all of you. Cost you five years of your life. Cost Klaus being able to watch Hope grow up. And maybe… maybe if you and Hayley had had those five years together, she wouldn't have freaked out so much about what happened in Freya's pendant. Which… the final domino in that row is pretty much this moment. So… I guess that we're even, now. Except, you aren't going to come back from this stronger than ever."

"No. But, I'll be with Hayley. And free from all the drama. Free from all of our enemies. I guess, when you look at it that way, I really am going to be stronger than ever. So, does this mean that we're okay?"

"Yeah. We're okay. Do me a favor?"

Elijah laughed. "Let me guess. You have messages for me to deliver?"

"I take it I'm not the only one?"

"There are advantages to knowing someone that had a near death experience and so having proof of an afterlife. I don't mind being a messenger."

"I'm not going to ask you to go hunting for anyone. But, if you see any of my guys, tell them I'm sorry. And Josh… Tell Josh that Thierry was wrong. Tell him that I was honored to know him."

"I'll do that. Now… Rebekah is up in her room crying her eyes out and scared to death that she's about to lose both of us."

"Yeah. I should probably go take care of her." He held out his hand.

Elijah rolled his eyes, grabbed Marcel's hand, and pulled him into a hug. "I am sorry that I won't get to dance at your wedding. But, I am so very glad that she found you. And that, in the end, you were the one she ultimately chose."

"Thank you. That means a lot to me." When he pulled away, his eyes were suspiciously bright. "I should go… officially propose to your sister. Let her know that I really am in this until the end."

"You do that." And then Elijah turned and walked away. He was sure that Marcel was going to go, hold Rebekah, and cry with her. But, letting her see him cry was entirely different from letting Elijah see it. And the man deserved to hold onto his dignity.


	7. Saying Goodbye Pt 4 - Freya, Kol, and Davina

**_Well, here we go. The last of Elijah’s goodbyes._ **  
  
**_As always, thank you for the favorites, follows, and comments. They mean a lot to me._ **

**~In This Life or the Next~**

Five down, three to go. And since he really needed to talk to Kol and Davina together, that meant that Freya was next.  
  
“I guess this means that I’m going to have to step up and actually be the oldest, doesn’t it? You did such a good job of keeping the others in hand, it was easier to leave you to it. But, can you imagine _Klaus_ as the family patriarch?”  
  
He had to laugh at that. “I'm sure you'll be fine. I have all the faith in the world in Davina's ability to keep Kol in line. Rebekah was never really much trouble. And Caroline has promised to deal with Niklaus. I think that between her and Hope, he will be quite manageable.”  
  
“We didn’t get nearly enough time together. Out of a thousand years, we had less than a decade. But, I do love you, little brother. And I’m so sorry. I wish I had time to figure something else out.”  
  
“Can I make a confession? Something I can’t tell the others?”  
  
“Of course. You can tell me anything.”  
  
“Unless your solution involved finding a way to bring Hayley back, then I don’t want it. This is… It’s more than just a final solution to the Hollow problem. It’s atonement. It’s the only way I can make it up to Hayley. Not just for letting her die. No, not letting her die. For being the reason she died. Because, let’s face it… if I hadn’t been there, Niklaus and Caroline would have been able to handle the situation perfectly fine. But, not just for that. For forgetting her. For walking away, and making her think I didn’t love her. For the past seven years. For… just for everything.”  
  
“She loved you, too, Elijah. She wouldn’t want you to die over that. She would want you to move on. To live your life. To fall in love again. Trust me. At this point, I know her better than anyone. You think we never talked about you? About what your decision to forget us did to her? She was my best friend, Elijah. And I was hers. So, I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she wouldn’t want this. She wouldn’t want your death.”  
  
For possibly the first time since he had started this, he let himself cry, too. “I know that. But, it doesn’t really change anything. She’s dead because of me. But, it isn’t just that. I… I’m having a hard time explaining it. But… I don’t have time to explain all of my reasons for having my memory erased. I wish I did. You all have a right to hear it. But, I do admit that I was being selfish. And now, I’m about to be even more selfish. But… I can’t face eternity without her. It took me a thousand years to find the other half of myself. And now she’s gone. And it’s my fault. And I want her back. I want her back. And there’s only one way that’s going to happen. And part of me hates myself for that. For being so willing to leave the rest of you. But…”  
  
Freya frowned at him. “Tell me this isn’t just a suicide, Elijah.”  
  
“No. Not at all. If it wasn’t for the Hollow, then my penance for letting Hayley die would have been to stay, to help you and Klaus raise Hope. But, as it stands, this is just the best solution. Klaus gets to stay with his daughter, Hope isn’t left an orphan, and… hopefully I get to apologize to Hayley in person. It would serve me right if she told me to fuck off. But, at least I can try to fix things with her.”  
  
Freya just hugged him. “I’m going to miss you, so much. I… hug Josh and Hayley for me, and tell them I love them?”  
  
He hugged her back, holding tightly to her for a minute. “I will.”  
  
“And… If you see our mother… Tell her… Tell her that I forgive her.”  
  
“If I see her. I honestly don’t know what the odds are of that, though.”  
  
“I would never ask you to look for either of our parents. Just… if you see her.”  
  
He just nodded and hugged her, again. And then he pulled away, kissed her cheek, and turned to go back into the other room.

**~In This Life or the Next~**

He took a deep breath. He wasn’t looking forward to this. The last two goodbyes were going to be the hardest. Not because of it being hard to say goodbye to them, but because it was his last chance to try to explain himself to a woman who hated him. His last chance to try to make amends with the brother who had spent a thousand years always feeling like an outsider in his own family. He had no real hopes of fixing things with them. Not in one night. Maybe if he had another thousand years. Maybe not even then. Maybe some wounds just couldn’t be healed.  
  
“I’ll leave you two alone.”  
  
“Davina, no. Stay. Please? I have things to say to you, too. And this time, it would be easier to do this all at once. Please? As my last request?”  
  
“That was a low blow, Elijah.”  
  
“I don’t really have time for niceties.” He sat on the couch next to his sister-in-law, and took her hand in his. “Freya and I… We weren’t fair to you. To either of you. At the very least, we should have explained. I’m reminded of how brave you were the night Sophie finished the Harvest Ritual. How you just stood there, told her that you believe, and let her do what needed to be done. You sacrificed yourself for this city, not really knowing if she would be able to bring you back. I won’t ask what your answer would have been if we had explained what we needed. At this point, it doesn’t matter. Just know, that if I had that day back to do over, I _would_ explain it to you. I would at least give the two of you a chance to say goodbye. I wasn’t fair to you, and I am so sorry.”  
  
To his surprise, there were tears in her eyes when she looked at him. “I wish you had explained. Given us a chance to say goodbye. Not so much for my sake, but for Kol’s. Because, you’re right. I would have done it. If I had understood exactly what you needed, I would have done it. I guess I had been with Kol long enough to start to think like a Mikaelson. But… for Kol’s sake… I wish you had taken the time to explain. And, now, I’m going to leave the two of you to talk. Don’t worry. We’re okay. I forgave you a long time ago. Tell Josh I love him?”  
  
Elijah could only nod as she got up and walked out of the room, leaving him alone with the little brother who had somehow always come in last. “I… Kol… I can’t begin to atone for the past thousand years. It would take at least another thousand years to do it. And I’m running out of time. But, I need you to know that you were always loved. Niklaus, Rebekah, and I formed a bond that somehow excluded you and Finn. I guess it’s a little too late to try to understand why. It wasn’t fair to you. To either of you. Though, Finn… I don’t know that he ever really wanted to be a part of it. But you… I don’t know how or why…” He wiped the tears that were forming away. “For a thousand years, all you wanted was to be included. And somehow… we always denied you that. We didn’t always realize we were doing it. And now, I just wish I could undo it all. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”  
  
And then Kol’s arms were around him. “Shh… It’s okay, Elijah. I was an annoying little shit most of the time. When I wasn’t a homicidal monster worse than even Klaus. I’ll never feel as close to any of you as you are to each other. You have a thousand years of history together that I wasn’t a real part of. But, I do know that you all love me. You may have had strange ways of showing it sometimes. But I know that you do. And I love you, too. And I’m going to miss you, so much.”  
  
They sat there, holding each other and crying together, bonding over their grief the way they never had been able to over anything else in their lives. Until the whispering started in Elijah’s head, again.  
  
He pulled away. “Time’s up. I need to get Freya and Hope to give me back the rest of the Hollow.”

**~In This Life or the Next~**

He had said his private goodbyes. Been given his messages to deliver to those who had preceded him. Caroline had even pulled him aside while Freya and Hope were working on the spell to transfer the part of the Hollow that Klaus had taken back into him.  
  
“I feel horrible asking. But, I heard that everyone else asked you to… talk to the people they care about for them?”  
  
“I imagine that your parents and your husband are on your list?”  
  
“If you don’t mind? I mean… if you see them… Stefan… my parents… Tyler? And… tell Jo… Tell her that I hope I’m doing okay by her daughters. That I hope she approves. And let her know that I really do love them like they’re my own.”  
  
He smiled at her. “Of course.”  
  
Niklaus pulled him aside to add Cami to his list of people to talk to. “And… tell my father that I’m sorry. I was just trying to protect Hope. And if you see Henrik…”  
  
Elijah smiled and put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I’ll tell them.”  
  
And then it was time. One last round of hugs, quick goodbyes that were also stall tactics. And then he walked out into the courtyard.  
  
He needed to be alone for this. Nobody should have to watch him die. Except, his family had other ideas.  
  
“You wouldn’t let me die alone. What makes you think I’ll let you die alone?”  
  
“Honestly, Elijah. How long have you known us? Always and forever means exactly that. You’re stuck with us until the very end.”  
  
He couldn’t help but smile as he looked around. No, he hadn’t wanted them to see this. But, he was touched that they wanted to be there for him.  
  
He looked around, at his family. And they were all his family, whether by blood, by marriage, or just by having been there for them. He was going to miss them. But, hopefully, he would be able to watch over them. And, he knew that he would see them all again. That was the true promise that Hope brought back with her from her near death experience. The knowledge that there was more. And someday… someday, even his family would join them.  
  
And then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and plunged the stake into his own chest. Searing pain was followed by a merciful darkness. And then a flash of bright, white light.

**~In This Life or the Next~**

**_And now, this gets put on hold until Waiting For That Dance catches up. Which will pretty much be April’s project._ **  



End file.
